Machine for grading and cleaning potatoes, onions, and other products.



No. 874,321. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

J. GASOARD & R. SHIMMEN. MACHINE FOR GRADING AND CLEANING POTATOES, ONIONS, AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED 45116.8. 1907.

Figl. I

. MACHINE FOR GRADING AND CLEANING- POTATOES, QYBTILUIJS, AND OTHER. PRODUCTS,

PI'OdUGG or articles.

. panylng drawings, sundry UNITED ttTAlllES PATENT osirron.

.TULES GASOARD AND .l'tOllll'llt'l. SHIlt'lll/IEN, OF BALLAN, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1'3, 1907.

Application filed August 8, 1907. M 81 h 387,698.

To all whom ii: '17; (1" (om/2m:

Be it known that we, JULES time/info, a subject of the King oi? GreetBritain andlreland, (5120., residing at Bellini, in the State of Victoria, C'UllllllUlEWQLltll cl Australia, and ROBERT Si'1iii-nma.=. suhjec oi the King of. Great Britain'ond lrele-nd, tc.,resi ling at" Bellan, in the Sta-to of v ic'ztoria, Common wealth of Australia. aforesaid, have irwented certain new and useful l1uprovements in him chines for Grading and Cleaning Rita-toes, Onions,and othe lrorlucls: end we do hereby declare the folloi. g to he :2. lull ear, finder;- act description oi? the invention loll will enable others skilled in the art to w .ieh it appe-rtains to niel o and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for grading potatoes, onions, fruit, and other It is rapid. in action, can allow for any number of grades desired, and it avoids bruising the produce.

The machine is illustrated in the accomdetails oi which may however he ohviousl varied w'tliin the S00 e of our claims.

n these drawings Figure 1 is a side eleve tion showing parts of the machine with the near side cosing removed. Fig. 2 :1 lion view, one half being of the machine top; the

other half showing the machine below section'line AB of Fig. 1.

The machine illustrated is adopted to grade into large, medium, and small sizes, ,direct into bags. ,1 In these drawings 1 is frame having when desired any suitable handles and having a ho per or box t for receivi a the reduce. T he box is shown with s. slatted ottoin to allow of dirt felling ;tliriiugh. It has its delivery or exit to efi' outer screen 5, 6. The size of the exit me be edjnstahlc, but in the machine illustrated it is the Width. of the said screen.

The hopper is shown pivoted at 25 and is given any suitable inclination so that it may,

' when requiredfieed the screen by gravity.

31 shows 9. stop on. which. hopper base 32 may rest. This stop prevents the hopper slo ing down outwardly.

he screen is madeof transverse slats or ribs 5-(usually Wooden) connected to longi- -tudinal cords 6 (of any suitable materiel) which leave spaces or apertures of such size that all but the large grade produce can fall through. l 4 Lf- The screen is made endless in any suitable wey, being made as tight or loose as desired; thus are belt end. sl connected by lacing or by bondsdll close together d sired. The said screen. pas round a. plurality-- usually four or more-- of main. rollers 7, the spindles of which are journeled srntshly as in the frame sides 2. Usually there are also one or more rollsl, 9, which may be adjustable, toregulete the screen contmir, and may he removed ii desired. rolls may have any suitable irregular surface, and are shown of angular section, so that they turn they vibrate this screen. top. Roll 9 is shown square with & spindle which is driven from the spindle of s roller '7 as l)" or' pulleys 228, 29, and belt 39. 3. screen tension roller, inadeadjustable in any suitable wey--see Fig. 1.

Screen 5, 6, has on rip-grade tron: feed box for any desired distance, up to, or be yond roller 8 aforesaid. The grade may be allowed to change at rolls 8 and beyond it may be (for example) hor ontol; It is shown upward all. the way in Fig. l; the position-in which frame 1 of the machine is adjusted will effect the slope. If the slope in ,Fig. 1 is to be reduced. the machine could he for example, raised at the foot 40, and could have adjustable legs or en ports.

35 shows the spindle 0' rolls 8, 8*,

which spindle, there being for example one at e'ech edge of the screen. The spindle 35 may be llet against the screen at the moment when the angle another Fig. 1) does so. llhistilts me sore-en slots'out of their hori zontol position seen in end View in-Fig. 1. Large potatoes are carried betweensid e wells "l by the screen slats 5, and are tipped. over a roller 7 and fall 11 on o cushioning chute 10 (of canvas, or other textile, or resilient materiel) thence to any desired bagging means. Suitable hooks (not shown) ore'usw ally attached to the chute, and the hagto )S are thus held in place. The produce may iiefed to chute ll) fast enough to fill tings quickly; and we find it convenient to hingeor pivot as st 12, on the chute, e board .11, so that the produce can be diverted to either side of the chute, which can thus have two begs attached, so that when one is filled,

may be blocks fixed at intervals along the adjustable, as by having its ends in slots 36 1n the frame sides 2, the friction of the screen in some cases, that the list of one roll oonies dotted lines (Fig. 2) and cause the other to be filled. Some dirt, and the produce of me dium and small grade will drop throughupper screen 5, 6, upon a second screen 12, 13, which is made endless and as loose as dcsired in any suitable way and is of any desired construction. This inner screen has smaller apertures than the other, and is passed over rollers 14', 15, so. as to be located. within the circuit of the outer screen. Roller is shown adjustable its ends being rotatable in holes in: a plate 37, which is slotted, and which when set in the desired position can be there fixed by a bolt 38 passing through the slot into the framingof the machine. Any of the rollers 7, or 14 may be made adjustable in positione as to regulate the screen which passes over it.

The inner screen (shown with slate 12 and cords 13) travels themedium'sized potatoes or produce it receives on any suitable (as an upward) grade, and tips them over'an end roller 14 upon a suitable cushion (as a can vas)' chute 16' do'wnwhich they pass to a re ceiver or bagging device. 'llhechute may deliver to each side of the machine if desired, but is shown on thenear side only.

' The third grade potatoes or small produce, and some dirt, drop through screen 12, 13, upon a chute 17, which may be canvas, or

otherwise cushioned, and is ordinarily not perforated. They then pass to an outwardly extending chuteJlS which is shown perforated at its outer part which may be netting, or have slatslQ. Through, theapertures rubbish and dirt fall, while the third grade potatoes or goods pass over the said slats, or the like,,'to bagging or receiving means. All of the bagging chutes of this machine may have adjustable boards or guides as 11, if desired.

The slats 5, and 12, project above the cords 'so as to form comparatively high ridges, which'act as carriers or conveyors to the potatoes or produce, even up a slope; the

- ridges and the motion of the screen, move and separate the potatoes or the like, so as to pro mote g'ood grading. Some ridges are made higher than others in some machines, but as shown in the drawings all are alike. Additional vibrating devices for screen 12, 13 are added, in some cases, but the dropping there on of the produce itself is usually sui'licient. Thus we'may add parts as 8, 8*,9.

The working of the two endless or continuous screens, is effected by turning a hanjdle 20, or by power, thusrevolving axle 21,

and sprocket wheel 22011 the said axle- ,whichprojects from' one ofthe rollers as 7. Sprocket 22 is connected by a chain to drive other sprocket wheels, one of which is on the axle of a roller 14 of the inner screen 12, 13. The chain is tightened if desired by any suitable device as a small wheel on a pivoted or adjustable arm 88* Fig. 2.. 24 is the spindle of a lower roller 7, and 23 is a sprocket wheel on that spindle over which the chain aforesaid passes. Thus both screens are rotated simultaneously. flhe direction of rotation need not necessarily be as in Fig. 1, where, however, it is shown by arrows.

It will be clear that any number of continuousscreensmay be used, each (exce t the outer one) inside some other. The r0 lare of the various screens have if desired, endless belts as 26 (shown in 1 only) immediately over them to reduce friction of therollers on the screen cords, and to distribute strain between rollers soconnected. To further reduce friction onthe said cords there may be, across their under sides, any desired cross pieces,not shown.

What we do claim as our invention and de' into which said second screen delivers, and a third chute inside said second screen, provided with slats, substantially as described.

2. In a vegetable grading machine, the combination of a hopper, an endless screen into which said hopper delivers,a non circularroll to vibrate the upper portion of said screen, a chute into'which said screen del1vers,-a second endless screen located. entirely 4 within the circuit of said first screen, a second chute into which said second screen de livers, and a third chute inside said second-'- screen, provided with slats, substantially as described.

3. In a vegetable grading machine provided with a frame having slots, the combination of a hopper, an endless screen on to which said hopper delivers, a 'non circular roll having a spindleadjustable in said slots,

said roll adapted to vibrate the upper portion o'l said screen, a chute into which said screen delivers, a second endless screen located' entirely within the circuit of saidfirst screen, a second chute into which said second screen delivers, and a third chute inside said second screen, rovided with slats, substan tially as descri ed. J j

4. In a vegetable gradin machine pro vided with a frame having s etc, the combination of a hopper, an endless screen on to which said hopper delivers, a' non circular roll having a spindleadjustable in said slots,

a noncircular roll, said rolls adapted to vibrate the upper ortionof said screen, a chute into which said screen delivers, a second endless sreen located entirely within the circuit of said first'screen, a sccortion of said screen, a .belt tightener 101- t e lower I nd chute into which said second-screen delivers, and a third chute inside said secondscreen, provided with s1ats, substantia'lly as I described.

5. In a vegetable grading machine the combination of a frame having slots, a hopper,'an endless screen on to which said. hop p'er delivers, a non circular roll having a spindle adiustable in said slots, a second non c rcular r0 1, said rolls adapted to vibrate the 11 er portion of said screen, rollers around 'w ch said screen travels, a chute into which 1 said screen delivers, a second endless screen located entirely within'said first mentioned screen, a second chute into which said screen delivers, a third chute-located entirely within the circuit of said second screen, a fourth chute into which said third chute delivers,

1 andslats in said fourth chute, substantially as described.

6. In a vegetable grading machine the combination of a frame having slots, a hopper, an endless screen on to which said hopper delivers, a non circular roll having a spindle adjustable in said slots, a second non clrcular roll, said rolls adapted to vibrate the upper portion of said screen, rollers around which said screen travels, a chute lnto which said screen delivers, a second endless screen located entirely within sald first mentloned screen, a second set of rollers around which said second screen travels, belt tighteners for each of said screens, a crank and connections for operating 'said screens, a second chute into which said screen delivers a third chute located entirely within the circuit of said second screen, a fourth chute into which said third chute delivers,and slats in said fourth 

